Smok'ngold Retrievers

08/26/2024

Congratulations to Cecilia and Smok’nGold’s Galaxy Blazer on a Master Dock Diving title!!! Great job you two!

08/24/2024

Congratulations Erica Daschuk and Smok’nGold’s Set ABlaze on passing their Working Certificate Test in Regina today! Great job Ericka - super proud of you two for taking on this challenge! Well done.

08/19/2024

Well the summer did not go quite as planned - we were hoping for Senior Hunt title but Mother Nature had other ideas and Indy came into season way earlier than I thought and we are having puppies!!

Here is a link to the pedigree. Our list is pretty full but depending on litter size we may have a spot or two.

http://k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1352382

07/22/2024

Congratulations to Sheldon Nelson and Smok’nGold’s Forged in Fire (Phoniex and Whiskey) aka R***r on three successful passes to achieve their Junior Hunt title at the Saskatoon Retriever Club Hunt tests this weekend! Great job you two!

06/20/2024

Meet The Station Spin Studio’s newest team member Tango!

06/19/2024

And……congratulations to Erica Daschuk and Blaze (Smok’nGold’s Set Ablaze) for an amazing year in agility, and we are only half way through!!! Erica and Blaze have received their MADS, MSDC, AGDC, AGI, AgNJ and NP. Well done Erica and Blaze!!

06/19/2024

Our next kid to get a huge shout out is Indy (Smok’nGold’s Galaxy Blazer) and her handler Cecilia- they are rocking it in the Scent Detection world! Congratulations of your Novice title! Can’t wait to watch Indy move up the ranks. Great job Cecilia and Indy!! Phoenix/Toss litter.

06/19/2024

Congratulations to Scott and Fina (Smok’nGold’s Ocean Commotion) on getting the last two passes for their Senior Hunt title at TNT Kennels this past weekend. Very well done Scott - you have done a great job with Fina!! Phoenix / Toss litter.

06/19/2024

I want to send out a huge congratulations to some of the new Smok’nGold Kids on the block!! Super proud of the work that these handlers and dogs are doing!

Nelson and R***r (Smok’nGold’s Forged in Fire) started training with the Saskatoon Retriever Club in their Beginner class earlier this spring and their hard work has definitely paid off. Congratulations on your WC pass on Saturday!!! Phoenix/ Whiskey litter.

01/25/2024

Recent research study results show after 2 years is best for males and never spaying female goldens if possible.

New research is providing more information for dog owners considering these procedures

01/13/2024

Over and over I’ve seen owners struggling with the same issue. The early phases of the reactivity sequence seem benign, or at the very least so mild that it would be unfair to correct them for it.

Unfortunately, these early phases or stages are anything but benign. They’re the required initial steps your dog must go through to get to the dreaded big stuff that all of you struggling with seriously reactive dogs know so well.

Which is why if you your dog has reactivity issues, the very best practice you can get into is requiring your dog to simply keep their mind—and eyes—on their own business. Scanning for trouble and “mad-dogging” other dogs has to removed from the menu.

If you learn to correct your dog (appropriately) for any untoward looking, and you do so with tools your dog cares enough about to actually stop the looking, you can actually stop this terribly predictable reactivity sequence in its tracks.

After all, that’s what most great dog trainers do, and it’s what most amazed owners think of as “magical” timing. Alas, there is no magic, just a keen awareness of how all this plays out.

12/01/2023

Let’s go back to a parking lot observation session with puppy Seeya 🥹 to remind you that ….✏️ Puppy socializing isn’t solely about a magical checklist of people to meet and dogs to introduce your puppy to. 📝

Socializing your puppy is about confident, safe exposures to all that life has to offer and helping them tackle it with joy, enthusiasm and confidence.

Socializing your puppy is about helping them see dogs, people etc. and making good choices, remaining neutral and comfortable. Forced interactions and overwhelming a puppy forces them to make poor life choices so they can feel safe.

Socialization looks like helping your puppy confidently navigate different floorings & textures under their feet. Socialization looks like taking your puppy into elevators and through automatic sliding doors. Socialization looks like taking your puppy through a car wash 🧽.

Socialization looks like taking your puppy to safely watch,from a comfortable distance, a construction site 🏗. Socialization looks like walking by or sitting & observing a school during daily pickup and watching children.

Socialization looks like learning how to confidently handle grooming, veterinary care, toenail trims, emergency holds etc.

Socialization looks like exposing your puppy to different sounds, different animals (farms, birds, cows, goats etc), and vehicles etc. It can look like taking your puppy for a ride in a wagon, smashing pop cans, playing in a tub of plastic bottles. Socialization can look like helping your puppy realize the puppy in the mirror is just them.

There is SO much more to socializing your puppy than dog parks, doggie day care, meeting 100 people, meeting 50 dogs and finding a human with an umbrella.

Socialization is about helping your puppy see the world through an appropriate, confidence filled lens. It is about helping your puppy learn that they can remain calm, polite and behave appropriately in a variety of situations. Proper socialization helps teach your puppy that you have their back and will protect and advocate for them.

Proper socialization helps your puppy become a well established adult dog. And after all…. That’s what we all want when we set out to socialize our puppies/young dogs.

Prioritize confidence.
Prioritize observations Vs interactions.
Prioritize experiences.

…and remember raising a puppy is hard work. You’re doing great. We all feel overwhelmed at times. You’re doing great.

11/10/2023

Sending a huge shoutout to these two today!! Congratulations to first time obedience trainer Barbara and 9 month old Django - can’t wait to see what the future holds for them!!

11/10/2023

Great job Scott and Fina!!

Smok’nGold’s Ocean Commotion JFTR “Fina” Owned & Handled by Scott Robinson Fina and her owner are new to the game and have jumped in with all six feet! Fina hails from the heart of the nation –…

11/07/2023

Congratulations to Aaron Neufeld and Smok’nGold’s Fire Starter (Flint) on a very successful weekend obtaining a CDX title at the Wascana Obedience trial this past weekend!!! Well done Aaron and Flint!

10/23/2023

These two have had an amazing career - very well done Sarah Knight and Little Ry!

10/01/2023

Congratulations to Janelle Culbert and Levee Smok’nGold’s Hollywood Rose (Phoenix/ Whiskey) on their first trip into the ring and their Rally Novice Title!! Great job you two!!

08/01/2023

Well it’s been a good weekend for Smok’nGold dogs!!

I want to send a huge shout out to Smok’nGold’s Ocean Commotion (Fina) and Scott Robinson for 2 1st place finishes at the Vancouver Island Field Trials!! Well done Scott and Fina!

Pretty proud of these two - Smok’nGold’s Star Fox and Alan Davies received another Master Hunt pass this weekend in Saskatoon and so very close on the second. One away from the Master Hunt title!!! Congratulations Alan and Fox!

Smok’nGold’s Spittin Fire (Phoenix) got her 4th Senior Hunt pass so that was a title for us!

Thank you to everyone in the Saskatoon Retriever Club for all your help this summer! Also to all the wonderful judges this year!!

And Gary Overs - thank you for your time and insight, it’s greatly appreciated!

07/24/2023

Please share!!!

06/28/2023

In Moose Jaw recently, there have been dog attacks that have taken place, leaving some frustrated and on edge when outdoors around dogs other than their own. Gary Overs is a long-time dog trainer and obedience coach in Moose Jaw and says that dogs are a product of their environment and their reactio...

05/18/2023

Doodles ,of any mix ,are currently all the rage and groomers are seeing more and more doodles because of this ,and unfortunately more and more groomers are beginning to refuse to groom these mixed breeds.

Why you may ask, because many doodle owners are unaware of the grooming needs these dogs require, and therefore may have unrealistic expectations of the groomers they seek out. 
Many owners, also do not bring their doodles in for their first groom, until they are approximately a year old, and because of this lack of socialization to the grooming process their dogs can be very uncooperative.

If you are considering getting a doodle or currently have a doodle  please consider these following points.

1.  Doodles require grooming on a regular basis, which can mean up to every six weeks at a professional, groomer and maintenance at home in between these professional grooms.  Your groomer will gladly provide you with a quick lesson on how to properly brush your doodle. and they also can show you what tools you need to have at home ,to properly brush them .
2. Surface brushing your doodle does not mean it is being groomed properly at home ,doodles require brushing down to the skin to help prevent matting.
3. Do not believe anyone that tells you your doodles should not be groomed until they are at least one year old ,by this time doodles are so severely matted that they MUST be shaved down.
They also need early exposure to the grooming process as they will require grooming for the rest of their lives, and starting them early allows them to build a positive relationship with their groomer.
4. Groomers do not want to shave down a doodle unnecessarily, but they will not expose a dog to unnecessary pain, because an owner demands that their dog be brushed out (because they like the fluffy look.)
 Pelted and severely matted dogs , such as those in the photos, can not be brushed out , they must be shaved down .
5. Doodles coats vary ,as they are a mixed breed and genetics can be unpredictable in mixed breeds in regards to coat texture and composition .
Just because your friends doodle has an easy to maintain coat does not mean your doodle will have one .
6. Grooming your doodle will not be cheap, and that should be taken into consideration when you are looking at those cute puppies that people have for sale.
Ensuring your dog is groomed every 6 to 8 weeks for its entire life will come with a significant cost.
7.  We would love to help you keep your doodle looking its best, our groomers are always open to conversations about how to maintain your doodle’s coat , what tools you will need to maintain your doodles coat , how often you doodle should be groomed professionally and how to make the grooming process a positive one for your dog .

04/05/2023

Just wanted to send a huge congratulations out to Karen Dowell and Lyka (Smok’nGold’s Magic in the Making) on achieving their Novice Obedience title this past weekend with a High In Trial!!! Can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two!

04/03/2023

Well we are into our last week with these guys - can’t believe how fast that went. They had a big day today - they went to the Canalta Hotel, where they checked out the lobby, toured the hallways and rode up and down the elevator. After that it was off to the South Country Vet for their check up, vaccinations, microchips and dewormer. Can’t thank the staff at South Country Vet enough for all their great care!!

03/28/2023

03/28/2023